Joseph w



No Model.)

J. W. FROST.

ELECTRIC PIRE ARM.

Patented June 9 ORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSEPH w. Enosr, .OENEW Yonkfn. Y

ELECTRIC FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319898, -dated VJune 9, 1885.

Application filed September 19, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

' State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Fire Arms; and I do hereby declare that the fol- Ylowing is a full, clear, and exact description of `the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved electrical lire-arm. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cartridge used in the saine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the igures.

My invention has relation to firearms in which the charge is ignited by electric spark or heat; and it consists in the `improved construction and combination of parts of a rearm in which the charge, which is contained in a' cartridge having a penetrable head, is

ignited by means ofi either a spark generatedbetween two points penetrating .the head. of

the cartridge byfclosing au electric circuit or by the heat generated in a thin wire penetrating the head of the cartridge by closing the circuit, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the stock of\`the gun or other arm, which stock is hollow and contains the battery `I3 and'an inductioncoil,C, secured in any suitable manner; and D indicates the barrel, which is hinged to the stock in any suitable manner used in connecting the barrel to the stock in a breech-loading fire-arm. The frame E has a longitudinal perforation, F, in which slides l a correspondinglyshaped block, G, which has two longitudinal perforations, H, through which the ends I of the wires J of the secondary circuit pass, the said wires being provided at their outer ends with points K, of platinum or other suitable metal, which points are removably secured upon the ends of the wires and project beyond the outer end of the sliding block.` Inside the block the wires are formed into coils L, and are secured inside the coils in brackets M, projecting from lthe inside of the frame or stock, the said coils serving to allow the wires to be stretched when the sliding block is pushed outward. One endof a lever, N, is pivoted to the inner end of the'sliding block, while the lever is pivoted upon a bracket upon the inner side of the frame, and the other end of this lever is pivoted to a sliding bolt, O, which slides in a perforation, I, in the frame under the perforation F, and which bolt bears -With its outer end against a downwardly-projecting lug, Q, upon the inner end of the barrel. A spring, It, serves to force this bolt outward, bearing against the inner end of the bolt.

Sis the trigger, which has a notch, T, in the rear edge of its plate U, which notch may be engaged by a sliding bolt, V,provided with a suitable handle or finger-piece, W, and sliding to the rear of the trigger, by means of which the trigger may be prevented from being pulled. The upper eccentric edge of the trigger-plate is covered with an insulating- A screw, B', which screw serves to raise or lower 'the free end of the strip farther from or nearer to the free end of the spring, so that the free end of the spring must be raised more or less by the eccentric edge of the trigger-plate, and

consequently the trigger pulled harder or less hard, according to the ease with which it is desired to have the gun fired, the spring coming in contact with the strip closing the circuit and causing a spark to pass from the points in the sliding block. 4.

The cartridge, which will be made the sub' ject of a separate application, is shown at C', and has a metallic head, D', provided with a central aperture, E', covered with a penetrable covering, F', or, if desired, with an explosive covering.

It will be seen that after the cartridge has been inserted into the breech of the barreLand the barrel is tilted downward in its position for ring, the downwardly-projecting lug upon the rear end of the barrel will press against IOC the 'sliding bolt in the frame, which will be forced inward, which will tilt the lever inside the frame, which again will force the sliding block outward, causing the igniting-points to penetrate the penetrable covering of the cartridge. When, now, the trigger is drawn, the circuit will be closed and a spark will pass between the ends of the points, igniting the charge of the cartridge. It follows that ghe sliding bolt and lever may be dispensed with, when the sliding block may peoperated in any other suitable manner; or the block may be stationary andrthe points made to enter Y the cartridge by simply closing the breech against the frame. Y

In Fig. 2 a slight modication of the gun is shown, in which the induction-coil may be dispensed with, and in which the points in the block are either brought into immediate contact or connected by means of a thin wire, and it will be seen that when the circuit is closed the points or the thin wire will become incandescent or red hot, and in this manner ignite the charge or the explosive covering of the cartridge.

I am aware that fire-arms have been made in which a point, which forms the electrode for one end of the electric current, is forced into a cartridge havinga metallic body Within it, which body is in contact through the sides of the cartridge with the bore of the barrel, to which the other end of the current is conveyed, so that the electric spark will be formed between the point and the metallic body within the cartridge; but this construction involves the difficulty, that for one thing the cartridge is rather complicated and diiiicult to manufacture, and next th'at by firing the arm the bore of the barrel will be apt to become coated with soot,&c., which may prevent contactbetween the metallic body in the cartridge and the barrel, and thus prevent the firing.

I am likewisex aware that a fire-arm has been made in which the point at one end of the current projects into a loose charge of powder, and that in ring the. arm the other end of the current is brought into contact with the barrel, which thus causes a spark to pass between the point and the barrel through the loose powder; but this arm is likewise apt to be rendered inactive by soot,&c. from the fired powder, as well as from defective insulation or other causes, while in my hereinbe fore-describedre-arm the spark is formed between the penetrating points, making the cartridge of nearly the same construction as the cartridge used in other breech loadingarms, and equally as simple in construction,

as well as insuring the certainty of a spark each time the current is closed. I therefore,

being aware of the presence of the above mentioned constructions, do not claim, broadly, a

fire-arm havinga penetrating electrode; but

I claimshown and set forth.

1. In an electric fire-arm for riug a can tridge having a penetrable covering, the combination of the arm having a tilt-ing barrel, two electrodes at the ends of the wires of an electric circuit secured reciprocatingly in the breech-piece ofthe arm, means for projecting the same into the breech end of the barrel,

apd suitable means for closing the circuit, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination, in an electric firearm,

of the barrel having the downwardly-project.

ing lug, the frame having a larger and a smaller longitudinal perforation in its breech-block, the block sliding in the larger perforation in the Vbreech-block and having the ignitingpoints, the bolt sliding in the smallerperforation in the breech-block and having means for forcing it outward, and the lever pivoted upon the inner side of the frame between the perforations and pivoted at its ends to the sliding block and bolt,- as for the purpose 3. The combination of the battery, the induction-coil, the wires of the primary circuit, the triggerhaving its upper edge covered with insulating material, the spring attached to one of the primary wires and secured above the trigger, the strip secured forward of and above the spring and connected to the other primary wire, and the secondary wires provided at their outer ends with the penetrating ignitingpoints projecting outside of the frame, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. The combination of the trigger having the upper eccentric edge of its plate covered with insulating material, the springsecured at; one end above the said edge of thetrigger, and the strip secured forward of and above the spring. having its free end pointing towards the free end of the spring and secured at its other end upon a screw, upon which it may be adjusted with its free end nearer to or farther purpose shown and set forth.

5. The'combination of the sliding block having 4means for sliding it in and out, the

- from the free endl of thespring, as and for the wires of the secondary circuit secured inside Y the frame to brackets, formed into coils outside of the brackets, and passing' through the sliding-block provided with theignitingpoints, the primary wires, the trigger, the spring connected to one of the primary wires and secured at one end above the trigger, and the strip connected to the other primary wire and secured adjustably forward of and above the spring, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my. own I have hereunto axed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH W. FROST.

Witnesses:

RICHARD CAsnY, FRANK KEErn. 

